Points of Interest

At age four, Amber survived spinal meningitis after being in a coma for three days. Doctors told her parents that she would probably die, and that if she did live she would likely be brain damaged and deaf.

Amber is also a cancer survivor. She was successfully treated for melanoma (a potentially deadly skin cancer) in 2007.

Amber is a dedicated Christian and credits Jesus as the foundation for her personal and professional accomplishments.

Personal

On September 24, 2008, Amber Neben won the time trial world championships, becoming the fourth American woman to do so. The race was held just six weeks after the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. Amber competed in the Olympic road race, but came in 33rd after fighting a mechanical problem. She also took back-to-back wins (2005 and 2006) in one of the most prestigious international women's stage races, the Tour de l'Aude in France.

In high school in Orange County, Calif., Amber competed in soccer, track, and cross country, but she suffered from frequent stress fractures. Later, she attended the University of Nebraska in Lincoln on a track and field scholarship, but the stress fractures eventually sidelined her from active competition.

She began serious cycling while she was studying for a PhD in molecular biology, genetics, and biochemistry at the University of California in Irvine. After a top-10 finish in the collegiate national championships, Amber decided to cut her doctoral studies short — taking a master’s degree in biology instead — and enter professional cycling.

Amber has won major races all over the world riding with some of the most successful women's cycling teams in the world. Her husband, Jason Neben, is an assistant professor of education at Concordia University Irvine.

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